Poetry: Life Got in the Way

Life got in the way

I wanted to be altruistic.

Save and conserve.

But life got in the way.

What’s my excuse?

I was told to be mindful of the future.

But life got in the way.

I want to ride a bike to work.

But I filled up the Hummer instead.

My intentions were pure

I didn’t mean any harm.

But life got in the way.

Heavy traffic makes me late for dinner.

Now it’s cold.

Throw it away and order take-out.

I didn’t intend to overconsume.

But life got in the way.

I had plans to be part of the solution.

Instead I became part of the problem.

I became wasteful like an American pioneer.

Farms into malls.

Lakes into fish farms.

I was superfluous.

I became selfish.

There will always be more.

Until there is no more.

I was too busy with what is in front of me.

Instead of paying attention to the background.

I littered the background and took Mother Nature for granted.

I didn’t realise how destructive I was.

I listened to the people who said, ‘who cares’.

I failed to hear the screams from future generations yelling... ‘we do!’

By Steven Kish. Steven has been a high school coach, nursing assistant, lifeguard, father, and writer. He has endured childhood trauma, and is a survivor of suicide. As a survivor of suicide, Steve is an advocate for people who suffer from mental health issues. He wants people to find their voice, and express their feelings in a constructive way through writing. He believes his poetry can bring awareness to mental health and heal a community he has lived in since 1984. He is currently working on four projects: The Path For A Flawed Person (a Marcus Aurelius inspiration), How Covid Killed My Father (short story/novel), Road Trip (a novel), and Rising Above The Hurt (a collection of 50 poems).

Photograph by Ryan Mostert

By Steven Kish.

Steven has been a high school coach, nursing assistant, lifeguard, father, and writer. He has endured childhood trauma, and is a survivor of suicide. As a survivor of suicide, Steve is an advocate for people who suffer from mental health issues. He wants people to find their voice, and express their feelings in a constructive way through writing. He believes his poetry can bring awareness to mental health and heal a community he has lived in since 1984. He is currently working on four projects: The Path For A Flawed Person (a Marcus Aurelius inspiration), How Covid Killed My Father (short story/novel), Road Trip (a novel), and Rising Above The Hurt (a collection of 50 poems).